Dean Thompson
This Saturday from 3pm Alexandra Speedway fires up for the new season with the return of the big, fast, and loud Late Models who will feature in their Southern Pro Late Model Series with four thousand dollars to win, whilst the Victorian Speedway Council Standard Saloons compete in a feature event also, Australian Motor Contest Association drivers will compete for state division points, and they will have support from Junior Sedan racing and Sports Sedans.
Late Model Sedan competition will include drivers from Eildon including the Edwards brothers Brock and Chevy and long time Alexandra associated racer Tim McPherson, and Shane Belk associated through great friendship to the Alexandra Club. They will be in battle with some serious competition from Tasmania and New South Wales in particular along with others from the host state.
Peter Nicola of Gippsland, Brad Smith from Tasmania whom has already won this season in New South Wales at Dubbo. Last year’s NSW top season competitor Lachlan Onley and third placed Todd Bayley, the Wild West Shootout winner Mark Letham, former Sprintcar racer Marty Perovich, Ben Nicastri whom is always on the pace at Alexandra, and Kurt Millwood who is consistently at the front in Tasmania. What a huge excuse to be at Alexandra this Saturday this line-up is. Our friends at Belkblast Protective Coatings and Bramleigh Estate for Weddings, Parties and anything are supporting the hosting of this event this weekend.
Australian Motor Contest Association race drivers compete in the class known as AMCA Nationals. The cars are mostly crate 350 Chevrolet engines whilst the rules of the class encourage and allow for 253ci Holden engines still to compete, these engines from Holden were the original engines of the class. Justin Richardson the reigning ‘Barry Reidy Memorial’ winner has signed up to defend.
Across three rounds Alexandra will hold the first round of the series so important to the drivers who knew Barry and are close to his Michael who owns the class. Frank Thierry, Stephen Hopkins, Hugene Charvat, Paul Howard, Stewart Grant-Campbell are others to watch for as is Buxton raised Jesse McKinnell who is part of the well-known Queensland McKInnell clan who are forever in title race pictures.
The Standard Saloons are on a huge run of feature events. They have competed in two memorial races one in South Gippsland and one in West Gippsland within two weeks. With their Victorian title at Alexandra this season, many of the best competitors have nominated for this week’s feature event. AusBuilt Rural (Bradley Hill) Smooth Suspension (Wayne Sheerman) and Precision Race Parts (Brodie Ardley) have chipped in to make the event more appealing to competitors financially. Valuable track time before the state title is also an incentive.
Nominations for the Standard Saloons include seven-time Victorian champion Scott Whittle, and back-to-back feature event winner Andrew Miles who has won the Stephen Douglas and Sally Walkinshaw Memorial races in the last two weeks. Add in Mitch Foster, former state champion’s Warrick Howie and Jacob Vuillermin, Jeff and Mitch Blencowe, Leigh Gooding, Brad Hill, Aaron Marshall, Darren Forrest, Mark Miles, youngsters Brodie Ardley, Bailey Sinclair, and Linken Paterson who holds the record for the fastest ever Standard Saloon lap at Alexandra, a record he set whilst still a Junior. Paterson, Howie, Jaimi Barber, Forrest, and Ben Rudd will all represent Alexandra as club members.
In support class action Victorian Sports Sedan champion Josh Service is keen to get off to a great start with Steve Kershaw of Healesville, Ian Thomsen, Matt Ismail, Robert Garlick and Danny Eastham all back to race and rookie drivers Justin Thomsen and Ethan Lambert gets a start to their careers.
Speedway Sedan’s Australia Junior classes the 1200s, Top Stars and New Stars will all take to the track with Brad Marshall leading the field in the 1200s. Tyler Smith from Tasmania, Zack Erickson a winner at Wangaratta already this season, River Paterson, Will Fallon from Alexandra and James Peacock amongst the fastest in the Top Star class whilst in New Stars keep an eye on Steane Cosson, Jaylen Knight and Axel Robinson. Robinson had a podium this season at Wangaratta already and Cosson won the New Stars final at Drouin this past Saturday.
This Saturday, racing begins from 3pm on Gordon Street Alexandra with a planned 10:30pm finish. Enquires can communicate via text to 0438 700 124 prior to race day up until 9.30pm, whilst the number is available for calls on race day.
Entrance will cost $60 for a family of two adults and three kids aged 10 to 16. An adult ticket is $25, Aged, and Invalid and children aged 10 to 16 is $10 with all children under the age of ten, free.
Alexandra and District Speedway club thank and acknowledge the following valuable supporters;
Alexandra & Yea Pre-Mix
Alexandra Panels & Towing
AusBuilt Rural
Beach Earthmoving
Bendigo Bank
Belkblast Protective Coatings
Donnaz Underground
Eastern Suburbs Locksmiths
Elite Racking Installs
Endeavor Petroleum
Exhaust Fix Lilydale
Fallon’s Bus Services
Fineblade
Foodworks
Highline Racewear
Ismail’s Building & Construction
LS Quarry
Matthew & Sons Drilling Services
Metro Tow
Outer Eastern Steel
Pakenham Towing
Precision Race Parts
Raslarr Engineering
Revegetation Victoria
S&N Builders
Smooth Suspension
Town & Country Tennis Courts
Tyrepower Alexandra
Valley Onsite
Victory Lane Racegear
Wandin Heavy Haulage
Waverley Exhaust & Brake Centre
Yenckens Hardware Alexandra
NOMINATIONS INCLUDE
LATE MODEL RACING VICTORIA SOUTHERN PRO LATE MODEL SERIES
Supported by Belkblast Protective Coatings and Bramleigh Estate
Bruce Mackenzie – N0 of NSW
Peter Nicola – V2 of Victoria
Mark Letham – N3 of NSW
Daniel Cassidy – 6B of NSW
Ryan Fenech – 6R of NSW
Brad Smith – T6 of TAS
Marty Perovich – N7 of NSW
Fiona Verhoeven – V8 of Victoria
Shane Belk – V9 of Victoria
Brock Edwards – V12 of Victoria
Lachlan Onley – N17 of NSW
Todd Bayley – N19 of NSW
Chevy Edwards – V21 of Victoria
Callum Harper – T22 of TAS
Kurt Millwood – T23 of TAS
Ellis Dickenson – T28 of TAS
Darren Clarke – V48 of Victoria
Liam Heaton – N89 of NSW
Tim McPherson – AX97 of Victoria
Ben Nicastri – N99 of NSW
VSC STANDARD SALOON FEATURE
Mitch Foster – Bairnsdale 4
Scott Whittle – Redline 6
Warrick Howie – Wangaratta 7
Andrew Marshall – Swan Hill 7
Jaimi Barber – Wangaratta 8
Brodie Robertson – Nyora 8
Brodie Ardley – Nyora 9
Jeff Blencowe – Drouin 9
Mitch Blencowe – Drouin 10
Leigh Gooding – Rosedale 11
Mark Miles – Nyora 12
Ashley Cormack – Bairnsdale 13
Chris Miles – Nyora 18
Brad Hill – Nyora 31
Andrew Miles – Nyora 34
Justin Cadman – Nyora 39
Darren Forrest – Alexandra 41
Jacob Vuillermin – Rosedale 59
Logan Mair – Nyora 61
Ally Morrison – Nyora 63
Ben Rudd – Alexandra 65
Josh Cormack – Bairnsdale 66
Linken Paterson – Alexandra 69
Phil Keep – Drouin 71
Aaron Marshall – Swan Hill 85
Bailey Sinclair – Ballarat 96
AMCA NATIONALS – BARRY REIDY MEMORIAL ROUND 1
Frank Thierry – Victoria 7
Stephen Hopkins – Victoria 8
Hugene Charvat – Victoria 12
Paul Howard – Victoria 23
Travis Wilkins – Victoria 33
Darren Bloom – Victoria 36
Nathan Dunn – Victoria 43
John Churchyett – Victoria 63
Jesse McKinnell – Victoria 76
Stewart Grant-Campbell – Victoria 97
Justin Richardson – Victoria 99
SSA PRODUCTION SEDANS
Matt Nelson – Alexandra 61
Stephen Laidlaw – Rosedale 30
Belinda Taylor – Ballarat 80
VSC SPORTS SEDANS
Josh Service – Victoria 1
Ian Thomsen – Alexandra 22
Matt Ismail – Alexandra 40
Ethan Lambert – Alexandra 46
Steve Kershaw – Alexandra 72
Robert Garlick – Alexandra 63
Danny Eastham – Alexandra 74
Justin Thomsen – Alexandra 83
SSA JUNIOR 1200s
Cooper Lack – Wangaratta 4
Blake Beach – Alexandra 18
Chase Doherty – Drouin 31
Jai Alexander – Alexandra 25
Brad Marshall – Alexandra 58
Maddy Beach – Alexandra 88
SSA TOP STAR JUNIORS
Tyler Smith – Tasmania 6
Tyson Heaphy – Nyora 9
James Peacock – Avalon 23
Harry Dunn – Bendigo 23
Tristan Jarred – Nyora 27
Zack Erickson – Wangaratta 28
River Paterson – Alexandra 47
Maddy Capon – Alexandra 66
Will Fallon – Alexandra 77
SSA NEW STAR JUNIORS
Steane Cosson – Alexandra 8
Luke Morrison – Alexandra 13
Jaylen Knight – Nyora 17
Allie Erickson – Wangaratta 27
Cruz Paterson – Alexandra 46
Axel Robinson – Alexandra 65
Written by
Dean Thompson
DMT Sports Media
For Alexandra and District Speedway Club
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